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November 23rd, 2008
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The agony of almost

Panthers fall to Berlin, 25-21, in final minute

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
June 4th, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Fullback Miroslav Dopita (49) puts the Panthers on top early in the third quarter with a three-yard touchdown plunge against Berlin.
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Boxscore



By quarters
Panthers 0 7 7 7 21
Berlin 0 7 3 15 25
Scoring
2nd Qtr: Berlin ? Belton 10-yd pass from Hall; Lissewski kick. Prague ? Lancaster 52-yd pass from Shrum; Srp kick.
3rd Qtr: Prague ? Dopita 3-yd run; Srp kick. Berlin ? Lissewski 17-yd FG.
4th Qtr: Berlin ? Schramm fumble recovery in end zone; Michel 2 pt. conversion. Prague ? Lancaster 49-yd pass from Shrum; Srp kick. Berlin ? Hall fumble recovery in end zone; Lissewski kick.
Rushing
Prague Ja. Shrum 7-66; Jo. Shrum 12-49; Dopita 9-37; Dlouhý 4-34; Višek 2-5
Berlin Csonka 15-65; Bosse 4-20; Hall 4- -6
Passing
Prague Ja. Shrum 7-16 163 2 td 2 int
Berlin Hall 28-37 269 1 td 1 int
Receiving
Prague Lancaster 5-154; Jo. Shrum 2-9
Berlin Belton 10-78; Schottstadt 4-78; Friedrich 4-40; Csonka 2-30; Emslander 6-23; Bosse 2-20
Penalties
Prague 6-98
Berlin 7-66
First downs
Prague 14
Berlin 19
Narrow defeats, however hard fought, weigh heavily on a team.
Maybe it’s because all of the wouldas and couldas matter more in the wake of a close game. Whatever the case, hours after the Prague Panthers lost 25-21 to Berlin Adler in the semifinals of EFAF Cup American football tournament, head coach John Srholec lapsed into momentary silence and uttered a terse expletive.
It had been a tough, back-and-forth battle that saw the Panthers edge ahead of Berlin 21-18 midway through the final quarter.
Just 40 seconds from victory and a berth in Europe’s championship game, Prague’s defensive line hammered Adler quarterback Brett Hall on third and goal. The ball popped loose, bounding into the end zone — and seemingly into the hands of Panthers cornerback Sam Lancaster. But he was swarmed by a mob of white and black jerseys and, after a moment of confusion, the referees signaled a Berlin touchdown.
“They got the breaks,” said Prague middle linebacker Daniel Krejbich.
After fighting to a 7-7 deadlock at the half, the Panthers jumped on top to open the third quarter. Fullback Miroslav Dopita battered his way through Germany’s top defensive unit for a three-yard touchdown, capping an 11-play drive.
Berlin answered with a field goal, closing the score to 14-10. Then, the breaks: Krejbich and his linebacker cohort Jiří Zavesky ripped the ball from Adler running back Rene Csonka on the Panthers’ two-yard line. It skittered into the end zone where Adler teammate Erik Schramm fell on it for a score. Prague blocked the extra-point attempt, but Berlin’s Karl Michel scooped up the ball and ran it across for a two-point conversion.
Suddenly, Berlin led 18-14.
“Maybe they were meant to win,” Lancaster said, shaking his head at the unusual events. Then he reconsidered: “We beat ourselves, that’s all there is to it.”
To the wire
Lancaster was flagged for an illegal block, nullifying quarterback Jake Shrum’s potentially game-breaking scamper to the Berlin one-yard line early in the final quarter of play. The Panthers settled for a field goal attempt, but Michal Srp’s kick sailed wide right. Five penalties in the second half cost Srholec’s squad 65 yards. Dropped passes, missed tackles and botched coverage assignments added to their woes.
Still, the Panthers fought back, retaking the lead, 21-18, with less than three minutes remaining on a 49-yard touchdown strike from Shrum to Lancaster.
But Prague’s defense found it difficult to cope with Adler’s spread offense. While Krejbich and company shut down the ground game, allowing just 79 yards, Brett Hall and his corps of receivers racked up 269 yards in the air.
In the waning moments, Berlin marched downfield on quick passes to American Marquis Belton for eight yards — “one of the best receivers I’ve coached against,” according to Srholec — and Marco Schottstadt for 19. Then Belton again and, on a critical third-and-four situation, Tim Friedrich caught a first-down pass to set up the game’s final score.
“That team is good, but no better than us,” Srholec said. “We played them right to the wire.”
Certainly the Panthers’ domination of Danube in the EFAF group phase and the near miss against one of Germany’s top teams proves that Prague deserves mention alongside Europe’s American football elite.
“It was an even game,” Krejbich shrugged. “They were just four points better.”
The Panthers now turn their attention to the ČLAF finale against their in-town rivals, the Lions, on Sunday and the Czech Bowl, set for June 27. A win in the title game means another shot at EFAF Cup honors next year.
No Czech team had ever advanced this far in international play — one win plus 40 seconds shy of the European championship game.
“I know I promised a win,” said Shrum, who earlier this year set his mind on a Prague-Berlin matchup. “But I tried my best.”

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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Reader's comments:

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[13:36 07/06/2008] : What a tough loss. It seems that Prague teams have something going against us up in Berlin. Congrats to the Panthers on an impressive run in the EFAF. It would have been great to see you there in the final for American football here in Czech.
zharrod
Prague
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